Heading to Paris on Thurs

Willspireite

Hi folks,

Am taking my lovely wife to Paris for a few days this week ... we got cheap flights through ryanair, and then cheapest hotel I could find was on hotelpronto site at 150 quid for 4 nights in Paris, Montmarte, including breakfast! (I did forget to use quidco though ... d'oh!)

Any advice on places to go to eat or anything like that? I know the main attractions etc ... there's some big tower, Blackpool Tower on speed or something like that!! It's more the places that are maybe a bit more off the beaten track, and especially any tips for saving when we're there, especially for meals out, as I know Paris can be expensive!

Thanks in advance for any help :T

Will

Casual

Hey Will-

I've just got back from Paris as I went for a wedding. One place you MUST eat is the Relais. (link below)

http://www.relaisentrecote.fr/

It's a hidden gem just off the Champs Elysee and is amazing. Very popular with Parisians and not a tourist trap at all.

Assuming you and your wife aren't veggies I strongly recommend that you go there if you want a French experience.

We got recommendations from some Parisian friends of ours and the first unusual thing about it is the queue outside which is full of the French! It goes really fast and once you get inside it's wonderful. Huge mirrors and pictures on the walls, traditionally dressed waitresses etc.

And then when you get seated they ask you - what type of wine and how do you like your steak. That's it!

The steak is AMAZING. Easily the best I've ever eaten and comes with a herby sauce that is their trademark. It's all silver service and really decent service by friendly staff. (This is atypical for Paris let me tell you!)

And the best bit is that it's very reasonable. Paris has become very expensive in recent years but we had a bottle of wine, two starters, the famous main courses and two desserts and the total was under £30.

So, if you fancy something off the beaten track and 'proper' French then I urge you to go there! And don't take my word for it. Do a google search and see some of the reviews and opinions.

Hope this helps - enjoy!
Catherine

Willspireite

Cheers for that Catherine ... that'll be awesome, will definitely have to head there ... sounds like an awesome place! Woo hoo! :j

balsingh

Having been to Paris several times, you tend to find the smaller restaurants and cafes which arent near the main attractions cheaper. The only thing I found is that they tend not to speak English as often. We have managed without problems though as there is always someone who knows a bit. I actually find the smaller places much friendlier from a service point of view too.

Casual

Cool - yeah, let me know what you think of it afterwards.

It's a five minute walk from the Arc de Triomphe.

The easiest way to get there is go to either the Arc de Triomphe or the George V metro and then walk down the Champs Elysees towards the Place de la Concorde. Rue Marbeuf is a road on the right. If you hit the Franklin D Roosevelt Metro then you've gone too far.

-C

Willspireite

balsingh wrote: »

Having been to Paris several times, you tend to find the smaller restaurants and cafes which arent near the main attractions cheaper. The only thing I found is that they tend not to speak English as often. We have managed without problems though as there is always someone who knows a bit. I actually find the smaller places much friendlier from a service point of view too.

Yeah ... being off the normal tourist trail is a huge benefit methinks ... a wee bit of French speaking helps too ... though accents are always fun! Amazing how you expect everyone to talk like the GCSE listening exam!! ha ha!

Any places you'd recommend balsingh?

Willspireite

Anyone else know of any good places to eat/visit in Paris?

Thanks for any help folks, really appreciate it!:o

Edinburghlass_2

This is what I would really like to do...

http://www.citysegwaytours.com/paris/

Willspireite

Edinburghlass wrote: »

This is what I would really like to do...

http://www.citysegwaytours.com/paris/

Ha ha ... looks nice, but think I'll give it a miss!

Does anyone know of any passes they'd recommend getting for round Paris? For example, is it worth getting a two day museum pass or will it be fairly quiet in Jan?

anna_2007

hi
I lived in Paris for a few years. There's a great little restaurant in Monmartre called Zebra - http://unzebre.free.fr/ A real French restaurant, great food and good value for money.

You may want to buy a pocket map from a street newsagent - these are cheap and contain great metro, bus and street maps. The busses in Paris are very easy - they all contain maps so you know where you are and where to get off and are a great way of seeing Paris en route somewhere!

When you finish your Eiffel Tower visit - find Rue Cler and visit the restaurant on the corner of Rue Cler and Rue du Champs du Mars. try their salads (enormous and delicous) or their roast Duck or Chicken.

For travel - get a 1/2/3 day pass from the Metro station called a Paris Visite. This you can use on any tube or bus or tram. This usually contains a small booklet full of reductions including one for a boat trip. I would strongly recommed this as a way of seeing all Paris has to offer in terms of momuments etc. This departs from beneth the Eiffel Tower.

For a bit of retail therapy try Rue de Passy. This is slightly out of the very heart of Paris but has all the shops (small versions), great boutiques and lovely street cafes.

hope that all helps!

Anna

anna_2007

one last word of advice - all Paris Museums are free on the first sunday in the month. They will of course be overrun with people so if you'd rather a bit of peace, dont go then!

Anna